Wonder Woman continues to smash box office records

Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman film is on track to break box office records by becoming the top grossing live-action film from a female director.

The film has generated more than $620m worldwide since its launch 21 days ago, media reports say, and is on course to outperform the $665.7m made by Kung Fu Panda 2 - also directed by a woman.

Some analysts predict Wonder Woman will also overtake Frozen, made in 2013 by male and female directors.

It generated $1.28bn in ticket sales.

Ms Jenkins' Wonder Woman is due to generate $319m (£250m; €285m) in the US in 24 days, Forbes' Scott Mendelson reports, which is only a little less than the $325m and $330m US totals of Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. 

Wonder Woman is soon likely to be the biggest US success for DC Comics, apart from the last two Batman Dark Knight sequels.

The film - starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot in the lead role - has already overtaken the international ticket sales of Phyllida Lloyd's Mamma Mia!, which earned $609m in 2008, Mendelson says.

"[The] action spectacular is still doing ridiculously well, both in terms of raw numbers and legs," he writes.

"It's projected $27.5m fourth weekend is a drop of just 33% from last weekend, which is nuts for a movie like this." 

Wonder Woman is also due to secure "the seventh-biggest fourth weekend gross of all time", he adds.

Wonder Woman is the first female-led superhero film to be directed by a woman. It has received largely positive reviews from film critics.

Hollywood is known for its reluctance to hire female directors, especially for blockbuster superhero movies.